Combine Multiple PDFs and Compress
Into One Submission-Ready File
When you need to submit several documents as a single PDF — payslips, bank statements, certs, IC copies — most people ask: should I compress each file first, or merge everything and compress the combined file? The answer matters for getting the smallest possible result.
The Right Order: Compress First, Then Merge
The most common mistake is merging all PDFs first and then trying to compress the large combined file. The correct order is the opposite:
- Compress each PDF individually at the appropriate level
- Merge the compressed files into one combined PDF
- If the merged result is still over the limit, do one final compression pass
Different documents in your set may need different compression levels — your IC scan needs Maximum, your bank statement needs Balanced, your employment letter needs Light. If you merge first, you must apply one compression level to everything, which means over-compressing some documents (reducing quality unnecessarily) and under-compressing others. Compressing each file individually gives you precise control and the smallest possible total result.
🗜️ Start Compressing Each File
No file size limit. No login. Process each PDF locally, then merge.
Compress PDF Free →Step-by-Step Workflow
List all documents you need to combine
Write down every file you need and what each one is (IC, payslips, bank statements, certs). This prevents accidentally missing a document after you've already merged everything.
Compress each file individually
Open ShrinkPDF, compress each PDF one at a time. Use the right level for each document type — see the table in the next section. Save each compressed file with a clear name (e.g., payslip_jan_compressed.pdf).
Merge all compressed files
Open the Merge PDF tool. Add all your compressed files in the order you want them to appear. Drag to reorder if needed. Click Merge.
Check the merged file size
The merged file size will be approximately the sum of all compressed files. If the portal limit is 5MB and your merged file is 4.2MB, you're done. If it's still over the limit, do one final compression pass on the merged file at Maximum.
Verify page order and content
Open the merged file and scroll through every page. Confirm: correct order, all documents included, all pages from each document present, no duplicates, all text legible.
What Size to Expect
| Document Set | Before Compression | After Compress + Merge |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months payslips + IC (LHDN submission) | 8–25 MB | 1–3 MB |
| 3 months bank statements + IC (loan application) | 10–30 MB | 1.5–4 MB |
| SPM cert + IC + co-curricular certs (scholarship) | 5–20 MB | 0.8–2.5 MB |
| Resume + certs + transcript (job application) | 5–15 MB | 0.5–2 MB |
| Medical MC + insurance form + claim receipts | 5–20 MB | 1–3 MB |
Common Use Cases
Bank loan or credit card application
Banks typically ask for 3 months of payslips and 3 months of bank statements in a single PDF. Compress each month's document individually (Balanced for statements, Maximum for payslips if needed), then merge all 6 files. Most banks accept up to 5–10MB per submission.
LHDN tax filing
LHDN allows 2MB per document. If you need to submit multiple receipts for a single deduction category, merge them into one file first (after compressing each one), so you submit one combined file rather than many separate small files. This reduces the number of uploads and lowers the chance of missing a document.
Scholarship application
JPA, MARA, and Yayasan portals often accept one file per document category. Compress your result slip at Balanced, your IC at Maximum, your certs at Maximum. Then for the "Supporting Documents" category, merge certs and any recommendation letters into a single combined PDF.